I organized a series of drop-off dates between September-November of 2019 to collect bats, gloves, helmets, uniforms, cleats and balls. I separated the equipment and packaged it in 10 x 50 pound duffel bags. The 500+ pounds of equipment were transported to Johannesburg on November 30 via South African Airways, and were distributed on December 4 at a ceremony in Alexandra, where 50+ junior and senior members of the Alex Baseball club attended.

In preparing this project, I was inspired by the story of the Ngoepe brothers, Victor and Gift. The Ngoepes grew up in Randberg, South Africa and lived in the clubhouse that their mother maintained alongside the baseball field. This is where Victor and Gift learned the game of baseball, which is an uncommon sport in South Africa. Ultimately, Gift became the first player from continental Africa to play for a Major League Baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Victor followed suit by playing in the Pirates minor league system.

In August 2019, I traveled to Morgantown, West Virginia to interview Victor, who was playing for the Black Bears, a Pirate affiliate at that time. I was motivated by the Ngoepe’s ‘rags-to-riches’ story and was hopeful that my program to donate equipment to the Alex Baseball Club could help other South Africans follow in their footsteps. I recruited Victor to assist with the distribution of equipment in the December 2019 ceremony.

Fast forward to January 2023, as part of the AYSA launch, I met up with the kids from the Alex Baseball club along with Victor Ngoepe, who is back living in Randburg. I brought baseball jerseys that were donated by the Pittsburgh Pirates and distributed them to the junior and senior players. Many of these kids are still using the equipment that I had donated back in 2019.